


You Belong Among The Wildflowers

by unburnttkhaleesi



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: F/F, Look it Up, Recreational Drug Use, This story got away from me, also this is an AU, dani owns a book store, idk if you call it smut but a tad of smut, if you don't know the song were I got the title song, it's adorable, it's dani and jamie, jamie owns a flower shop, modern day AU, owen and hannah meddle a lot, they pass notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:40:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27109639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unburnttkhaleesi/pseuds/unburnttkhaleesi
Summary: It’s eight in the morning the bells of her flower shops jingles as the door quickly opens up. Jamie glances up from the floral arrangement, still not fully awake, but her visitor is. As always, Owen is full of gifts- well breakfast to be fair. It’s the concern from his wife, Hannah, that the young woman never eats that has either one of them in here every morning. They own a diner right next to her and became friends once Jamie became a regular. Today though, well today Owen has this smile- no, shit eating grin as he hands her a steaming cup of tea and a box of pancakes. “Oh my god, Owen, why are you looking at me like that?” She groans as she pops open the lid of her tea to blow on it.“Jamie, I have news.” He declares proudly.Jamie scoffs. “Are you getting rid of that ridiculous thing under your nose?” She teases with a raised brow.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie, Hannah Grose/Owen Sharma
Comments: 28
Kudos: 699





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Someone of tumblr as me if I could write a story about Jamie owning a flower shop and Dani owning a coffee shop. Well I think the coffee shop has been done, but book shop hasn't sooo. I hope you enjoy dear anon!

It’s eight in the morning the bells of her flower shops jingles as the door quickly opens up. Jamie glances up from the floral arrangement, still not fully awake, but her visitor is. As always, Owen is full of gifts- well breakfast to be fair. It’s the concern from his wife, Hannah, that the young woman never eats that has either one of them in here every morning. They own a diner right next to her and became friends once Jamie became a regular. Today though, well today Owen has this smile- no, shit eating grin as he hands her a steaming cup of tea and a box of pancakes. “Oh my god, Owen, why are you looking at me like that?” She groans as she pops open the lid of her tea to blow on it.

“Jamie, I have news.” He declares proudly.

Jamie scoffs. “Are you getting rid of that ridiculous thing under your nose?” She teases with a raised brow.

“No, I- wait a second. Do you know how long this took- Listen, I- drink your tea and let me talk!” He demands. Jamie laughs as Owen takes a deep breath to collect himself. “For someone who owns a flower shop, you are quite brooding- anyway, have you checked the new shop out?” He asks, scoffing at Jamie’s confused looked. “Dear lord, woman, the one right next to you?”

“You mean your shop, yeah Owen, I see it all the time.” She waves off, knowing that she was getting under his skin.

“No, you buffoon, the one on the other side of you, just opened up- the bookstore?” He asks. “Specifically, the woman who runs it?” Owen goes on and Jamie rolls her eyes. “You should meet her, she’s well- she’s American.” Jamie groans again, “but I think you two would hit it off if you catch my drift.”

Jamie lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Owen, you can’t play matchmaker when you don’t know the other person.”

Owen puts his hand on his chest, feigning offense. “I am a wonderful judge of character, Miss. Greene.” He puts his hands on the counter and sighs. “Just go meet your neighbor, please?” He begs. “I swear, if you don’t, I will come in here every morning and annoy the hell out of you with my ‘punny jokes’, you know I don’t lie about that.”

“Christ, fine. I’ll go meet her,” Jamie relents and Owens beams, about to follow her out the door, but Jamie stops him. “No, you stay. Watch my shop.”

“I’ll listen through the window then, can’t stop my nosy ears.” Owen calls out at her as she leaves to go next door.

Jamie had seen books coming into this shop during the past months, but she didn’t realize how many were actually in the shop. Stakes upon stakes of books caught her eye, classic books that she read as a child, new ones that she had not even heard of before. The store smelled of fresh paper, coffee and ink and on her display table, the works of Jane Austin- of course. What brings her attention from the books on the table is the plant in the center of it. An English Ivy plant that was looking a little sick, she touches the soil, it’s damp, so at least the shop owner was trying to keep it alive.

Jamie looks up at the sound of footsteps rounding the corner. A woman, the owner of the shop she assumes. Her eyes are focused on the book in her hands, but Jamie takes her in. She’s pretty, the type of pretty she’d see in old movies. A Judy Garland type or Audrey Hepburn, wide eyes with long eyelashes, high cheekbones and plump lips. There is a certain delicacy to her, something pure and airy. The woman reaches up, twisting her finger into a strand of blonde hair as she bites her lip eyes narrowing as she looks intently at something she then smiles before looking up, realizing that she wasn’t alone. “Oh,” She squeaks. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear anyone come in. I was just looking at this second handbook, I love getting these,” She explains. “Especially if they have inscriptions in them, it just gives you a small window into their lives. See,” She steps closer to Jamie, shoulder to shoulder and points to the cursive writing in the first page of the book. It’s The Secret Garden, an old favorite of Jamie’s, for obvious reasons. “My dearest Laura, never stop exploring the beauty of the world, love dad.” She reads. “He even picked out his favorite parts of the book for her to find. It’s a shame she let it go.” The woman sighs as she closes the book and clears her throat. “Are you looking for anything particular?”

Jamie runs a hand through her wild curls and shakes her head, needing to create space between them. “Uh no,” She rubs her neck and then gestures to the sickly plant. “Just looking for the person who is slowly killing this innocent boy.” The woman’s eyes widen, and her cheeks turn pink. “I’m Jamie, the owner the flower shop next door so,” She shucks her hands in her pockets and rocks back on her heels. “I pretty fond of all things green and growing.”

The woman sets the book down, giving a small nervous laugh before shaking her hand. “Oh, you’re- Owen was telling me about you! I’m Dani. I’ve been meaning to stop over at your shop, but I’m still getting things organized.”

“And neglecting you plant.” Jamie points out.

“No, trying to take care of my plant, not neglecting, that isn’t in my nature.” Dani tells her, causing Jamie to grin. “I’m trying my best though, what do you think is wrong with it.”

Jamie looks at the ivy plant again, and picks it up, touches it, and moves her fingers in the dirt. “Might be the start of root rot, I could try to stop if for you, expect he’ll have to come with me for a bit until he’s all healed up.”

“Thank you so much,” Dani smiles gratefully. “Is there anything I could do for you? Do you want a cup of tea or-” 

Jamie waves her head and shakes her head. “No, I am good. You Americans have a knack of desiccating tea, it was over for me once you through it into a river.” She tuts. “Naughty little rebels, but I’ll get this fixed up and back to you in no time, no need for pay backs.”

However the bookstore owner doesn’t listen, she bides her time and waits until her plant makes a recovery and Jamie gives it back, the next morning she finds a brown paper package outside her store when she goes to switch the sign to open. Jamie rips the paper open and smiles, a new copy of The Secret Garden. It’s bound in dark green velvet, with the title of the book written in silver lettering. She opens the book up and smiles at the message Dani had written on the first page. ‘I figured this book would be appropriate for someone with your talents. Thanks again for saving Tom- Dani’ She has a little smiley face under her name and Jamie finds a small smile on her own face, because of course her bookish neighbor would name her plants.

Jamie runs her fingers along the books soft spine before she goes over to the cash register and takes a seat on the stool. She kicks her feet up on the counter and gets engrossed in the story from her childhood, barely acknowledging Owen when he walked in the door.

“Ah, I see you have met our resident book fairy.” He observes as he puts a paper cup of tea in front of her. “So, what do you think?”

Jamie looks up from the book, puts the ribbon placeholder to save her page and smirks. “She’s pretty, a little awkward but pretty. Almost killed a poor ivy plant, that’s all I know.”

“And she gave you a book.” He points out to the book in her lap. “It could be the start of something you know.”

“I don’t know, not really fancying the thought of a relationship right now. Besides, I don’t know if she plays for my team. You can’t just assume someone’s sexuality, Owen.”

He sighs, eyes full of concern. “Hannah and I, we just want to see you happy, Jamie and who knows, maybe she’ll surprise you.”

Jamie first realizes tonight that like herself, and Owen and Hannah next door to her, Dani had taken up residence in the flat above the shop. Both of their windows are open, Dani is playing music, Tom Petty, as she cooks dinner. It smells good, really good, way better than Jamie’s hungry man. Owen and Hannah would kill her if they found out what she was eating. Dani catches her staring, because she stops and moves closer to her window and leans on the sill. “Hey, do you wanna come over? I have plenty of food?” Dani calls out. “You know us Americans go over the top with our portions.” She adds, trying her best posh accent which makes Jamie laugh a bit.

“What’cha cooking?” Jamie asks.

“Fried chicken and homemade Mac’ and Cheese, so are you interested?”

Jamie pretends to think, already knowing her answer. “Well you had me at fried chicken, the mac’ and cheese? Totally was the hook line and sinker. Do you want me to bring anything?”

“Just yourself, please. That TV dinner has no place in my apartment.” Dani tells her, pointing metal tongs at the black tray in her hand.

Jamie locks up and is over there in two minutes time. She greets her at the door, wearing a grey cardigan over a loose pink t-shirt that hangs slightly off her shoulder just a bit, a pair of leggings and chunk pair of woolen socks. Her blonde hair is tied up in a messy bun at the top of her head. Dani is glowing, but that might because of the heat from her flat. “I hope you don’t mind the mess.” She explains. “I’m still trying to get settled and when you don’t have the tools to put things together-”

Jamie looks at the dinner table that was still in places and shrugs her shoulders. “I could do that for you.”

“Oh no, you’re my guest, I can’t have you working like that.” Dani points out, clearly embarrassed.

Jamie shakes her head. “Seriously, you are offering to cook for me and I have a feeling that this will stay like this if I don’t do something about it, so just let me get my tools, alright?” It wasn’t a question because Jamie points her finger. “And don’t argue. I’m doing this.”

Dani gets this amused smile on her face and crosses her arms. “Alright then.” She singsongs before she gets back to working on dinner. “Just stomp all over my American hospitality.” Dani teases while Jamie scoffs.

“You mean American laziness?” Jamie corrects with a playful smile on her face. Dani opens her mouth to protest and then just shakes her head, waving a white tea towel in defeat.

“Get it, like your people did during the Revolution?” She laughs at her own joke and Jamie can’t help but to think how freaking adorable her laugh is.

“Yeah, you keep working on you comeback game, I’ll be right back, and we’ll have dinner properly, at the dinner table.” Jamie comes back quickly with a faded red toolbox and sets to work. At least Dani was organized, each screw had its own Ziplock bag, so she was able to put the table back together in no time while Dani finishes cooking the chicken. “There you have it, a proper kitchen table.” Jamie proudly states and Dani claps in appreciation. “No need to thank me, really, now you can stop being so barbaric and dine at your own table.”

Dani seems to be holding back a smile, holding a serious face and then points to another box. “We just have one problem; the chairs are still in there.”

“And I’m guessing by the flatness of that box, they are unassembled too?” Jamie dares to ask and judging by the look on Dani’s face, she’s right. “Eh, fuck it, I’ll get it after dinner. I’m starved.”

She gets up and help’s Dani fix their plates, her senses overwhelmed by the smell of real food. However, when her eyes find a pitcher of golden brow liquid, she gives Dani a look. “What’s that?”

“Iced tea,” Dani says slowly and then proceeds to talk faster. “Now before you reem me out, try it and if you hate it, then you hate it.” She reaches up and grabs to glasses from the shelf and then runs her hand along the small of Jamie’s back as she walks past her to grab the pitcher. “And then if you do hate it, you can make me some proper tea.”

Jamie tries to ignore the way her touch raises goosebumps on her arms. It’s not like she can blame the air of the flat, since it was beyond toasty when she walked in. So, she just talks as she grabs their plates. “Ah yes, the guest makes the tea. What happened to that American hospitality I hear so much about?”

“That went out the window as soon as you went and put my table together” Dani reminds her.

And they sit and eat together, they discuss their favorite books and tv shows. Jamie complements Dani’s cooking and drinks the iced tea. It was good, for an abomination. Jamie talks about plants and Dani listens contently, even asking if she could have some packets of seeds to grow some herbs. It’s easy talking to her, comfortable, but then Jamie asks the question. “So, why did you leave the land of the free? Was it always your childhood dream to move to jolly ol’ England and attempt a horrible posh accent and Bly of all places, how was our little village on your map?”

Dani looks down at her mug, offering a small laugh as she shrugs. “My dream was to become a teacher.” She tells her, I went to school for it, did it for a while, but.” She pauses and taps at the ceramic, a sadness in her eyes. “Things change, even more so when your small town in the Midwest seems to collectively shun you for something that you don’t get to choose. So, I called the airline, asked for the first flight out to anywhere and it was here.”

Jamie leans her head on the couch as she listens, brows raising when she mentioned her town shunning her. “So, fate brought you to our little town of Bly?” She nods her head and bites her lip. “Well maybe lady fate has something planned out for you. Can I ask you one thing?” She wonders and Dani nods. “Are you proud of who you are?”

Dani takes a few seconds, smiles and nods her head. “Yeah, yes I am.”

“Good, cause fuck those assholes who treated you like shit. If there is something that I learned, you are who you are and masking it just fucks you up.” She shrugs. “It’s why I prefer plants- and dogs. Plants can’t talk back, and dogs are loyal.” She chuckles as Dani lets out a laugh. “What?”

“Oh, I totally knew you were a dog person, you just give off that vibe.” Dani points out, rolling her eyes playfully at Jamie’s confused look. “That you would totally let you bed get taken over by some huge great danes.”  
  


“Hm, while you walk around with little miniaturized pups that are to fluffy to comprehend.” Jamie jokes as Dani throws her hands up in defeat. “To be completely honest though, I’d make room in my bed. If the right person came along.”

Dani tilts her head to the side. “That’s good to know.”

Jamie leaves that night after Dani has a complete kitchen table and chairs, because you know, they had to have a proper place to sit at for dinner tomorrow.

When Jamie opens up her shop the next day, she is surprised to see Owen and Hannah outside with breakfast, tea and a rectangular sized package. She gives them a sigh as she lets them in, the busybodies that they are. She takes the parcel from Owen’s hands, walking behind the counter with a genuine smile as she opens it up. Another book, this one hard back, clothbound. Little Women. She flips open to the title page to find the neat handwriting.

‘I still can’t believe that you have never read Little Women!’ The loopy cursive reads. ‘And thank you again, Jamie for what you said last night. It means so much to hear something like that. See you tonight! -Dani’

Owen suddenly clears his throat and Jamie looks up at him and Hannah. “So,” He puts down the cup of tea and leans on the counter. “Hannah saw you leaving our American friend’s flat last night, late last night. What was that about?”

Jamie can’t hide the smile and she shakes her head. “She took pity on me and invited me over for dinner.”

“You ate someone else’s cooking?” Owen pretends to be hurt and Hannah gives him a playful nudge.

“Let the girl talk dear,” She scolds him. “So, how was it.”

“It was nice, good. I mean she can cook, but dear lord do not let her make you tea.” Jamie runs her fingers along the cover of the book, side eyeing Owen and Hannah who obviously wanted to hear more. “And maybe there was a connection, I don’t know.” Owen and Hannah share a knowing look which makes Jamie scoff. “Okay there was something, but I’m not telling you her life story. It’s hers, you know.”

“Wait, Jamie Greene isn’t gossiping?” Owen gasps. “Oh, she’s smitten.”

“Alright, thank you both for breakfast, but you have a shop to run like I do. So, bye now.” She rushes them out the door, Owen all the while chuckling as she does. Jamie takes a moment again to look at the book and then goes to the back and grabs a purple orchid, writing her own note.

Dani has a routine in the morning. She gets up, checks her phone, reads the texts from her family back in Iowa, has a small panic attack. Then she showers, calms down a bit, eats an everything bagel with a cup of coffee before heading down to her bookshop. She unlocks the register while she sips on her coffee, walks among the stacks before she heads open to the door. A potted plant sits on the side, a pretty purple flower. She switches the sign to read open and unlocks the door to pick up the plant. Attached to the ceramic pot there is a note. The writing is a mixture between cursive and print and she smiles when she realizes when she realizes who it’s from.

_‘Orchids are easy and hard to kill, give it an ice cube every week and make sure it gets some sun. See you tonight. -Jamie.’_

She takes her new friend inside, sitting it on the counter as she looks at it contently, coming up with a name for the flower as the bells of her door jingle as someone walks inside. She turns around, half expecting and hoping it would be Jamie. To her surprise though, it’s Owen. He offers her a friendly wave as he walks in. “So, Hannah has a new book request.” He tells, then looks over at the orchid on the counter. “Pretty flower,” He compliments. “Sad thing to say that a green thumb is something I lack.”

“Oh, me too but Jamie said that this is easy to care for so. I trust her judgement.” Dani says as she takes the small note from Owen and looks it over.

“So, Jamie gave that to you? Hm.” Owen comments and Dani looks up from the note. “Just that, I’ve known her for years and I’ve never known her to just give away one of her babies. You, my dear, must have struck a chord with her.”

Dani looks down at the piece of paper, reading the title of the book and going off to find it. It is really the only way to hide her smile. Just being around the other woman last night made her feel excited, happy, all these positive emotions that she hadn’t felt since she came out to her family- at her rehearsal dinner of all times. It was a now or never sort of moment, she’ll never forget the pain in Eddie’s eyes the quiet murmurs that came over the wedding party and the disappointment in her mother’s voice. She pushed that memory down, as far back as she could and she wouldn’t let that, or anyone else back home ruin what she could have. A happy and stable life with someone that she would actually love.

She finds the book quickly and hands it over to Owen. He has a cookbook in his hands and as she rings him up, she asks him a question. “So, out of curiosity, what is Jamie’s favorite meal?”

Owen gives her a playful smile and begins to write down all the ingredients that she needs.

Dani closes up shop early to go shopping for what she needs and gets to work as soon as she gets home. Dani had made homemade spaghetti noodles before, but she hadn’t made Bolognese sauce before. She has another one of her dad’s records playing as she cooks, her whole kitchen smelling like an Italian restaurant. She figures that once she is done, she can get changed and-

The knock at the door interrupts her plans though and as she looks at the clock above the stove, she realizes that Jamie is right on time. So, she wipes her hands on a dish towel and opens up the door greeted by Jamie who was holding a big bottle of wine. “This time, I figured I’d bring something other than myself.” She gets this amused look on her face and reaches out and drags her thumb across Dani’s cheek. “Did you get into a fight with a bag of flour?” She asks with a chuckle. “It smells amazing in here, what are you up too?”

Dani knows she’s a bit awkward especially around women, more specifically around a woman with a roguish sort of accent and pretty hazel eyes who gave her a flower today. So, she laughs, tucks a piece of loose hair behind her ear and lets her in. “Yeah, I opened up a bag and it got everywhere. It was salvageable though.” She laughs again and shuts her eyes in embarrassment. This woman may actually like her, she can’t screw this up because for once she feels the same way for another person. “And thank you, it’s Spaghetti Bolognese.”

Jamie turns around to look at her and Dani thought instantly that she screwed up somewhere. Her smirk says something else though. “Did Owen get to you?”

“Guilty, but this recipe is a hundred percent me. He actually wanted to make it, almost begged me.” Dani tells her. “And I also wanted to thank you for the flower.”

She follows Jamie into the kitchen and watches as she tastes the sauce. “Don’t tell Owen this, but this- so much better than his.” She looks her up and down. “You’re a bit of a flirt, anyone ever tell you that?”

All Dani can do is blush as she takes the spoon and stirs the sauce, smiling at Jamie’s triumphant grin. If she was aiming on getting Dani flustered, she was winning.

Jamie pours them wine as Dani serves them dinner. They talk and laugh while they, Jamie’s brow almost raise off her face when she tells her she made peach cobbler for desert. “Owen is very insightful.” Dani teases. “He said if it weren’t for him and Hannah, you’d be eating canned pasta for every meal.”

“They’re good people, you know. Took me in, became my family and helped me open up my shop. They like to meddle, as you can probably tell, but they mean well.” Jamie explains while she twirls some pasta onto her fork. “I do have a question for you, what is with all the records and the Tom Petty? I’m not asking to be rude, but more out of admiration. It’s an impressive collection.”

Dani shakes her head and puts her wine down. “Oh, no, you’re not being rude. It belonged to my dad. God, that man lived off music. Road trips would be nothing but John Denver and Johnny Cash. Tom Petty was his favorite though and then the Grateful Dead, total guilty pleasure.” She gives a laugh and shakes her smiles. “Once I found a bag of ‘contraband’ in my dad’s shed. I was eight and he told me it was oregano, but only for him. After he died, I cleaned out that shed and found his so-called oregano. By then I was sixteen and new what it was. So, I did what all teenagers so when they find a bag of quote on quote oregano.”

“You smoked it?” Jamie asked, trying to cover up her laugh.

“I smoked it, the whole bag- flipped the hell out, thought I was dying, then thought that every plane that flew over top of me was aliens trying to kidnap me.” She shook her head. “Then after I came down a bit, I went to my mom-”

Jamie’s face was pink with laughter. “-No”

“Yes, I went to my mom and told her that I smoked all of dad’s special oregano and we needed to go the hospital before the aliens found me. She was so pissed that her perfect blonde, Sunday school volunteering daughter smoked pot.” She shakes her head. “She didn’t talk to me for a month after that, funny. It was a pure pot meet kettle thing, like getting drunk every night was any better.”

Jamie is clearly amused and purses her lips. “Well, it sounds to me like you had a bad trip with some shitty weed, or you know- maybe shouldn’t have smoked that much by yourself. You know, between you and me. I might have something for medicinal purposes.”

Dani smiles back. “Well if it’s for medicinal purposes, then I don’t see any problem.”

After they finish eating, Jamie runs back to her flat to grab her medicinal herbs and a little flushed on wine, Dani rushes into the bathroom, making sure she looks okay. She runs her hand through her hair, smoothing out any frizz she may have picked up while cooking. She jumps when the door opens again and peeks out of the bathroom, beaming as Jamie holds up a glass pipe. “Whatever you do, do not tell Owen. He’ll be pissed that we did this without him, and Hannah will be cross. Deal?”

“Deal.”

They get comfortable on the couch and Dani puts on a new record as Jamie packs the pipe and lights it up. She takes the first hit, letting the smoke out into the air as she passes it to Dani. “How did you get into gardening.” Dani asks, coughing a bit as she took her first hit. “Was it something you did as a kid, or-”

“No, god no. As a kid, I was to busy taking care of my brothers and then avoiding pervy old foster parents.” She shakes her head at the look of concern in her eyes. “I got into gardening when I was doing some time for some shitty choices I made as a teenager in London. Idle hands and all. I loved it, I love it.” Jamie reaches over to take the pipe from Dani’s delicate fingers. “I love it because you can watch your progress, you know. You just watch life itself pop up from these little seeds and then they produce things you can eat or things you can look at and feel something for. The colors, the smells, it’s just like- it’s the control. You feel like you’re in your own little universe that you created.”

“Yeah, I get that. That’s what a good book does to me, you just get entranced with the words on the page and it takes you anywhere you want to go. When I read, I feel like I am there, next to the character, experiencing what they are experiencing. I always encouraged it when I taught. I loved teaching too, it’s kinda like you and your garden. You’re planting these little seeds of knowledge in these kids’ heads. She sits back. I miss it.”

Jamie blinks, looking intently at her. “Then why did you stop.”

“Because the people in Willow Haven Iowa did not a lesbian teaching their children, that’s why.” Dani sighs, finally letting it out. “They found out from my so-called friends after my meltdown at my rehearsal dinner and that Monday, boom- fired.” She looks up at the popcorn ceiling and then back at Jamie, admiring the way the smoke pass through her red lips.

“Shit, Dani all that happened in just a few days?” She shakes her head and grunts. “Again, screw those fuckers. They have no right to judge you, or who you want to be with, my god, when are people going to-”

Jamie doesn’t get to finish her rant, mainly because Dani decided then and there that she wanted to do something about those pretty red lips. She’s suddenly on her, kissing her and Jamie pulls away and even if it was for a moment, panic begins to rise in Dani. Did she read the signs wrong, did she rush it, but no, it was just Jamie being kind and caring. “Are you sure?”

“God yes.”

Dani giggles against Jamie’s lips when she hears her little ‘thank fuck’ and pulls her closer. There is a realization that this was right, this was what she wanted and had wanted for such a long time and she lays back, pulling Jamie on top of her and earning a laugh from her. She loves the way she feels against her, the way she makes her feel- that burning sensation, she loves it, but never experienced it from someone else. And Jamie, everything about Jamie makes her feel giggly. The feeling of her lips, her scent, everything. She sucks in a quick breath when she feels Jamie’s hands on her stomach, her touch- as much as she loves it, how much it drives her insane and how much she wants more, she needs to tell her.

“Jamie,” She whimpers as she nips at the skin of her neck, causing her to buck her hips up against hers. “Jamie, I’ve never-” She breathes, her own hands snaking up her shirt, feeling the skin of her back. “I’ve never done this.”

Jamie pulls up, bracing her hands on either side of her. “You’ve never done this with a woman?” Dani shakes her head and Jamie blinks. “Well shit.”

“I just,” Dani sighs, face flushed “Church goers, you know- Eddie was so keen on waiting so.” She finds her own brow furrowing at Jamie’s smirk. “I don’t want to wait though.”

“Oh, trust me, I know you don’t, but now that I know-” She leans down and kisses nose. “I want to make it special. Not while we’re both high and a little drunk. Deal?”

Dani smiles back up at her. “Deal, but um- we don’t have to stop this, do we?”

“I mean I don’t want to if you don’t-” Again, Jamie doesn’t need to finish her thought because Dani pulls her back down, lips on hers.

Jamie stays there that night, they fall asleep on the couch, Dani tucked under Jamie’s arm. She wakes up first, her head still on Jamie’s shoulder. She realizes that it’s the best night sleep she had in months, actually years. She slowly reaches over Jamie and grabs her phone and sees a slew of new voicemails and messages from her mom, Eddie, Eddies mom and it doesn’t bother her. What she does realize is the time, 11:30. Their shops should be open by now, they should be working by now and just as predicted, there is a knock on the door of her apartment. She groans as she pulls herself away from Jamie who curses in her sleep. There is a chill in the air, so she grabs the closest thing to her, Jamie’s button up to wrap around her as she opens up the door. There, standing in front of her is Owen and his wife Hannah, they looked concerned at first, but then a cheeky grin comes over Owens face when he hears Jamie’s voice.

“Who the fuck is there this early.” She gripes and probably looked at the time. “Oh shit.”

“Oh shit indeed.” Owen repeats, smugly. “I hope we aren’t interrupting anything?”

“Owen, enough.” Hannah quips and offering her a friendly smile. “Dani, Jamie.” Dani turns her head to see Jamie behind her, hand pressed against the doorframe. “We just got a little worried when we saw your shops weren’t open yet, we didn’t mean to just barge in.”

“No, no it’s fine. We’ll just shower, I mean I need a shower- do you need a shower?” Dani points at Jamie who is just amused at this girl’s blundering. It was cute, she liked it when she is flustered.

“What Dani is trying to say is thank you so much, Owen and Hannah for your concern. We’ll be right down.” Jamie easily says and reaches over to shut the door. As soon as they were blocked from their friends, she smirks, circling her arms around Dani’s waist, kissing her forehead, then her cheek, finally finding her lips. “See you tonight?”

“Yeah, see you tonight.”

When Dani finally makes it down to her shop, she finds a vase filled of Lilies of the Valley sitting outside. She peers through the window, spotting Jamie hard at work next door before grabbing her newest gift from the front step. The flowers smell sweet, fresh and like last time there is a note, in Jamie’s particular scrawl written on a card.

_‘So, there is this book from olden times called The Language of Flowers. I studied that book from page to page, just to know what flowers to give someone. These little beauties right here mean happiness and that’s how you make me feel, happy. -Jamie’_

Dani smells the fresh flowers again as she takes it over to the display of books on the table that sat in the center of the store. She picks up the ivy plant, deciding that it would be better off upstairs anyway and places her gift in its place and stares at it with a serene smile on her face for the rest of the day.

Jamie comes over every night now she often brings something with her, sometimes its ice cream, that they share while watching a movie, legs tangled together. Other times it’s a bottle of wine or a cake, just nothing she made, because Dani made it clear that as much as she likes her, she can’t cook, and Jamie doesn’t mind. Dani cooks while Jamie puts together a piece of furniture each night. By the end of the night, they always end up on the couch or in the bed in a heated embrace. Dani begs ‘Please’ and Jamie answers. ‘Not yet.’

The gifts don’t stop though, Jamie’s bookshelves become quite impressive and Dani’s bookstore is full of plants and flowers in vases.

Tonight though, well tonight was the night. Jamie planned on surprising her, a brown bag full of ingredients for a homemade pizza, they had been dating for three months and she just felt that it was right now. She opens up the door as always to see Dani standing across from an older woman who could be her look alike. Dani is fighting back tears, already wiping away the ones that were streaming down her cheeks in fury. So, Jamie sets the bag down on the coffee table and goes over to her. “Hey, is everything alright? Who is this?”

“I’m her mother.” The woman proudly states, almost in a tone like she owns her, like Dani is her possession “and who are you?”

“Oh, you’re her- wow.” Oh well, two could play at her game. She puts on a polite smile. “I’m Jamie, her girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you.”

The older woman blinks, she looks shocked. There is, however, a hint of a smile on Dani’s face and she reaches for Jamie’s hand, holding it tightly, pulling her closer. “You’re her-” She stumbles on what to say next. “Danielle, are you- I thought it was.” She sits one of her kitchen chairs. “I didn’t think you were serious, when you said all that stuff at your rehearsal dinner.” The older woman is a bit dramatic as she fans herself. Jamie meets Dani eyes and sighs, there really is no time for this and there is nothing like a mother to kill the mood. “So you’re really…a gay?” She adds in a whisper.

Jamie looks around, trying to figure out who this woman was hiding from. Was there someone else in the apartment with them. Dani though takes a shaky breath and proudly states. “Yes, mom, I am a lesbian, just like I said back home. This is not a phase; I am not confused, and I am not sorry. If you really loved me, you’d accept that.”

Mrs. Clayton looks up at the two woman and then shakes her head. “Danielle, like I said before you left, I can’t, I don’t understand how this happened and what about me, what about grandchildren?”

“Look, Mrs. Clayton.” Jamie steps in. “Here is the thing, if I could speak for Dani right now?” She looks at her girlfriend who gives her a nod. “Thanks, luv. This? It isn’t about you. This is about your daughter and her happiness. This is who she is, this is how god decided to make her and she’s beautiful and smart and funny, just perfect the way she is. There is this thing though, called science and adoption that allows anyone to have children. She can still have a family, you can still be a grandmother, but I am telling your right now that if I am lucky enough to be chosen to have a family one day with your daughter and if you don’t try to change your ways, you’d never see them. You’d never see us and that’d be a damn shame wouldn’t it?” Jamie seems to have shell shocked the woman because she stays silent. “Now if you don’t mind, I had a lovely date night planned out for this beautiful woman. So, go back to your hotel, stew on this awhile and let your daughter know the outcome. I truly hope it’s acceptance, because it would be a damn shame to lose someone as amazing as Dani.”

Mrs. Clayton clears her throat and forces back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “Fine.” She stands up. “Danielle, I’ll be in touch.”

Jamie wraps her arms around her girlfriend as her mother marches out. She thinks Dani is going to cry, but instead she just laughs. Jamie had half of mind to wonder if she just lost hers. “You alright?”

“Yeah, I just- no one has ever made Linda Clayton speechless and my mom just called me a gay so.” She flicks a tear from her eye. “I think I have a right to laugh.”

Jamie joins in on her laughter, pulling her tight and rocking back and forth. “Yeah, I think you do.”

And strangely enough, Linda Clayton is forgotten about that night. Dani cooks, Jamie helps. More so helps sprinkle on the cheese and that night, as Dani leads her to her bed, they don’t stop. Dani’s hand tremble as she unbuttons Jamie’s flannel shirt and the sharp intake of breath that she lets out once Jamie touches her just eggs her on. She hold’s her breath as Jamie reaches her hand lower and lower until she reaches where Dani needed her most. It’s her skillful fingers that make her gasp and pant, but its her mouth that makes her toes curl and her hand grip the sheet as she crashes around her. She’s in a daze as Jamie kisses up her torso, laves at her breast and finds her mouth. Dani tastes herself on her tongue and she flips them over those large, doe like eyes looking at Jamie. “You don’t have to babe,” Jamie sighs and Dani shakes her head. Lucky enough for Jamie, Dani is a quick learner.

This time in the morning, they shower together, and Jamie takes her time to memorize every part of her body and she finds a spot inside of her, a spot that Dani never knew about. It makes her claw at her back and call out her name over and over like a prayer on her lips.

Later as they dry off and dress for the day, Dani speaks up. “Did you mean what you said to my mom last night? About you, wanting a future with me? I mean I know it’s still too early but-”

Jamie stops her this time with a kiss. “Yes, luv, I would love to have a future with you. If you’d have me.”

Dani can’t help but giggle as she kisses her again.

Later in her shops, Dani picks a book from one of her shelves. Madame Bovary is her choice this time, clothbound like the rest. She takes it down, opens it up and beings to write a quote from the book on the title page.

_‘I have a lover! I have a lover! and the thought gave her a delicious thrill, as though she were beginning a second puberty. At last she was going to possess the joys of love, that fever of happiness she had despaired of ever knowing._

_Thank you again for such an amazing night. Love, Dani’_

She wraps the book up in brown paper and as she goes to leave it at Jamie’s door, she spots another arrangement of flowers at her own door. Apple Blossoms and Honey Suckles. She leaves the parcel at Jamie’s door, picks up her bouquet and opens the card.

_‘Apple Blossoms, I prefer you before all and Honey Suckle, devoted affection. You are my person, Dani.’_

Jamie tells her she loves her first. It’s a spring of the moment thing, even as she has been holding onto it for a while now. She is helping Dani in her shop, watching her interact with a child as she gives a child a worn Harry Potter book, barely charging anything, just asking for a donation and when Jamie asks her why she smiles. “Do you really think I am going to give some bigot money?” Dani asks her and Jamie smiles affectionally. “The money I get from these used copies goes to LGBTQ youth charities and that woman doesn’t see a dime, not on my time.”

It’s that and her heart that just makes Jamie enter her place with her favorite flower, a Moon Flower. “So, we have a problem.” She announces as she puts the flower on top of the coffee table. “We’ve been dating for months now and I’m not sick of you.”

“Well that’s a relief.” Dani chuckles as she admires the potted plant. “What’s this about though.”

Jamie sighs. “You are one of the most amazing people that I have ever met and everything about you, from the notes in the books to just your damn smiles makes me- well it makes me feel something that I haven’t felt in a long time. I don’t open up to people that easily, you know that. So it’s why I brought you this. It’s a Moon Flower, it’s really rare and almost impossible to grow here. It only opens at night and it’s a beautiful thing to see. To me, a moon flower is rare, like a person you love. But you? I like you. Well, I actually love you. I think I’ve loved you from the moment I first saw you in your store and every day I fall deeper and deeper.”

The tears in her eyes are happy and Dani lets out a wet laugh as she flicks one off her cheek. She puts the plant down and takes Jamie’s hands, giving them a small squeeze as she leans in and kisses her. Dinner be damned.

Eight months later, Dani hands Jamie a new book. Pride and Prejudice. Jamie had to laugh as they laid in bed together, commenting how she never read it out of spite for her teacher. She opens the book, expecting one of her girlfriend’s cute notes, and finds one, but with a ring tied to ribbon place holder.

_‘I cannont fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun_

_Jamie, will you marry me?’_

Now this time, Jamie is a mess as she tackles Dani onto the bed, whispering “Yes, yes, yes” in her ear.

She would have to thank Owen one day for giving her that sickly ivy plant, because he had been right. It would lead her to her soulmate.


	2. And may you stay forever young

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like parents! Dani and Jamie have become a guilty pleasure of mine so here you go, they would really have made amazing mamas if not for the murderous ghost in the end.
> 
> And what can I say, it's fluff, just fluff and fluff and more fluff.

This was Owen’s fault; it was always his fault after all.

Him and his stupid self-having to be a man and having to get his wife pregnant. Goddamn men. Jamie had never seen Dani so excited for someone in her life when they’re dining at their café’ and they are each handed a small black box. Jamie’s brow furrows when she opens it, on a delicate chain laid a little a sterling silver heart with a hand stamped phrase that read ‘I love my Auntie’

Jamie blinks once, the twice until she hears Dani’s chair scraping across the wooden floor and screaming is when she processes what is actually happening, because honestly, why else would Owen and Hannah give them Auntie necklaces. “Oh my god!” Her wife of one-year giggles as she somehow manages to pull two fully grown adults in her arms. “Oh my god! You’re having a baby!” and there are tears in her eyes, happy tears as she turns back to Jamie and points to Hannah’s flat belly. “Jamie, there is a baby in there!” She explains in awe, as if that was something that Jamie didn’t know. However, Jamie follows in suite, a proud grin on her face as she pulls her two friends in a hug.

“Congrats, you two,” She pulls back slightly to examine Dani’s all too excited face. “Owen, mate, I hope you are ready for the next eighteen years of no sleep.”

Owen chuckles, wrapping his arm around his wife. “As long as this lovely lady is with me, I think I can handle it.”

Children weren’t really a topic that Jamie and Dani spoke about, not since her mother came to town two years ago, lamenting about her daughter’s sexuality and how she’d never have grandchildren. Since then, their relationship with Karen Clayton sort of mended. Karen was at their wedding and now came to visit during the summer. It was an uneasy visit the first week in, Jamie felt as if she had been walking on eggshells at first being that the woman seemed to bring up Edmund O’Mara every chance she could get, how he was married now to Millie Barber; Karen would say that name with such venom that it made Jamie think that she hated that poor woman more than she hated her. She talked about the people back home and how they always asked about Dani, and about that the baby that Edmund and Millie welcomed into the world. Jamie wasn’t stupid, she caught the look in Dani’s eye, and she knew what Dani wanted.

But then Karen Clayton surprised her one night.

Jamie had come home late from the shop; Dani was in the kitchen of their small house making dinner and Karen wasn’t in sight. So, Jamie took the chance and kissed her wife, held her in her arms and asked her how her day went. She left her only for a moment to take a smoke break in their backyard, thinking she was alone when she heard the older Clayton woman clear her throat.

“Got a light?”

Jamie jumped, cursed and turned to the older woman who was sitting on the swing. “Come sit.” She requests and Jamie does what she is asked, lighting her mother in law’s cigarette as she tries to make herself comfortable. “Dani said that you planted all of this?” Karen nods towards the gardens in their backyard. Jamie had worked hard on their little sanctuary, it had become their corner of Eden. Jamie loved finding Dani on the hammock peacefully reading a book during a Sunday afternoon. She would often join her, tucking her head under Dani’s chin and listen to her heartbeat as she began to read whatever novel she was reading out loud. “Thank you.” Jamie clears her throat, still feeling a bit awkward. Karen Clayton was hard to read after all. “Dani helped.”

The older woman hums, giving a bit of a smile. “I know that we’ve- I’ve had my issues with the two of you and this marriage.” Karen begins and Jamie mentally rolls her eyes, because here they go again. “Becoming the gossip of my small town, not everyday your daughter runs away to England and get’s married to a woman- but I’m glad she did.”

And Jamie swears she gets whiplash from how quick she turned her head. “I realized I was being selfish; I wanted my daughter to be something that she wasn’t. So, I found this group in the next town over for parents of lgbtq children and it opened my eyes. I already apologized to Dani, I still keep apologizing even though she swears that she forgave me,” Karen lets out a wet laugh. “I don’t know why though; I was so terrible to her after her father died. Now I’m apologizing to you, Jamie you make Dani so happy. I have never heard her laugh the way you make her laugh, or smile the way she does now and my god- the way you look at each other? If that isn’t love, pure and true love then I don’t know what is. I am so sorry for doubting that love.”

Jamie is- speechless, she isn’t quite sure how to approach this. One because she never had a motherly figure in her life and two, she never had someone actually apologize the way she was doing. “I want to be involved.” Karen continues. “In you lives, in your futures, but if you two decide against it, I’ll understand”

God-damnit, is all Jamie can think as she stares blankly at this woman. When Karen Clayton announced she was visiting she remembered the rush of cold fear travel down her spine because she made Dani so tense, so upset and Jamie hated seeing her wife like that. However, during this visit, Dani seemed lighter and she guessed it was because of her mother’s change in attitude. “It’s all good, isn’t it?” Jamie tries to play her cool and looks out into the yard. “I fully believe people deserve second chances and if I didn’t believe that, I’d be a fuckin’ hypocrite.”

At this the older woman laughs. “You are an amazing woman, Jamie, no wonder my daughter loves you so much.”

Dani comes out a little later with dinner, shock written all over her face to see her mom and wife sharing a laugh and talking. Jamie gets up from the swing and helps her put the food down. “Is everything alright?”

Jamie hums, a smile plastered on her face as she kisses Dani’s cheek. “Everything is perfect, baby. Make yourself comfy, I’ll get the rest of the food.”

The rest of the visit goes swimmingly. Karen brought old pictures of Dani as a kid and Jamie’s heart clench especially when the conversation of Dani’s old high school friends having their third child by now. All Jamie can do is listen and look at the picture in her hand, young Dani with a head full of blonde hair and blue eyes that were much to big for her face. She can’t help but wonder what it would like to have a replica of that running about their garden, with shiny blue eyes and Dani’s smile. It wouldn’t be bad and it would be theirs, their own child.

That visit happened only months ago and now they were in their cottage getting ready for bed after Owen and Hannah’s announcement. Dani had her bookstore to open and Jamie had some floral arrangements to make in the morning for a wedding. Jamie was getting ready for bed when she pops her head out of the bathroom to see her wife looking at the necklace that Owen and Hannah had gotten for them. Jamie already knew what was on her wife’s mind.

So she climbs into bed and nestles her head on Dani’s shoulder. “Pretty exciting night.” Jamie comments and Dani nods. “Owen and Hannah, they’ve been trying for ages to have a baby.”

“Yeah,” Dani nods, pressing a kiss to Jamie’s hairline. “It’s going to be such an adorable kiddo.”

Jamie’s nose scrunches as she thinks. “I mean yeah, hopefully if it takes after Hannah.” She practical snorts at her wife’s playful sigh. “Can you imagine the puns that will come from Owen now? He’ll be a barrel of dad jokes.”

“Oh my god,” Dani groans. “It’ll be so un-barrel-able” She laughs as now Jamie groans, rolling her eyes as Dani gives a cute snort that makes Jamie cackle.

Though as quick as their playful mood came, it disappeared, and lord does Jamie know what’s coming. Ever since the good visit with Karen Clayton, the topic of kids came up at least one a month. Just the small details, like names they liked. One night Dani had _‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’_ in her lap asking how Jamie felt about the name Atticus to which Jamie replied ‘Do you want him to be a prick?’ smirking as she watched her wife throw her head back in laughter.

Then Jamie got involved with the who name thing. Dani had left one of the teenagers in charge of her bookshop while she was on break, meaning coming next door to see Jamie and steal a kiss. ‘Primrose is a nice name’ Jamie hummed while she worked at a floral arrangement and she caught her wife’s face, giggling when she explained why she’d cry every single time they called their child’s name, her sweet, silly, book loving wife.

Jamie is brought back from her thoughts when she hears Dani let out a sigh. “You want one, don’t you? You wanna have a baby.” It’s not a question, more of statement. They’ve discussed it, Dani had no problem carrying it.

Dani’s fingers drag up and down her arm and she release the breath she was holding. “I- yeah, Jamie- I want to start trying.”

And Jamie’s lips curl into a smile, because she wants that too. The thought of having a child used to terrify her, being that her own childhood was pure shit. However, this child _their child_ wouldn’t have Jamie’s life, on no. This child would have a room who’s window faced the garden, who would wake up to a hot breakfast and loving parents who were so much in love. This one would have a mismatched family who would support and love them no matter what. “Then how’s about we start looking into clinics and donors?” Jamie asks and Dani laughs. “We have the house, the stores are doing great, maybe it’s time to get a little Clayton to run about this place?”

“Really?” Dani looks over at her, eyes sparkling as happy tears begin to brim up.

“Really.”

And they try, boy do they try. They find a great doctor who proudly showed pictures of herself, her wife and their three children to them. The woman is short with plump cheeks and a dazzling smile, she calls them a darling couple and shows them binders filled with potential donors as she talks them through the process and what Dani must do on her end.

The first test comes up negative, then the second, then the third. The fourth one becomes a false positive and Jamie watches as her wife slowly begins to lose hope and Dani is so kind, never asking Jamie because while Jamie would do anything for her wife, Dani knows her fear and she refuses to put her through it, even when Jamie shakily volunteers five months in. “We’ll keep at it,” Dani says in a strong voice. “It’ll happen.”

So, they set up more appointments and Hannah’s stomach grows rounder and rounder. They’re at the other couple’s café one night and Jamie can’t stop looking at Dani. She’s lighter today, glowing almost as Owen sets a cake in front of her. Jamie takes her eyes off her wife for a moment. “Oh god, don’t tell me this is a gender revel. You already told us that you’re having, we got stuff for Tate, a monogramed blanket, the clothes and-” Jamie’s a little annoyed, it had been a long day at the shop. She had just hired a new employee and the guy was practically untrainable.

“Just read the damn icing.” Owen sighs and Jamie furrows her brows and begins to read the neatly printed words.

“If I’m going to get round, then your going down with me-” Jamie pauses before she continues, turning her head to her wife. “Dani what? -” Then her eyes flick towards the pregnancy test and a grainy black and white ultrasound picture. The test read positive and the picture, a little small thing about the size of a bean that read ‘Baby Clayton’. Jamie blinks once, then twice and then manages to get out. “You’re pregnant?”

Dani nods. “Yeah, I- I’m sorry I went to the first ultrasound without you. I just wanted to be sure, after Rebecca and I went through twenty positive tests. I’m six weeks along.” Dani laughs at Jamie’s smiling face. “I told Hannah and Owen because I wanted to surprise you.”

“Twenty tests- I” Jamie laughs as she loops her arms around her wife, giggling madly as happy tears spill from her eyes. “That’s were that high charge from the drugstore came from?” She feels Dani nod against her. “We’re going to be parents.” She doesn’t ask, she states and Dani giggles into her ear.

“You’re going to be a mama.” Dani laughs as she pulls away to press a light kiss against her lips. Her eyes sparkle as she pulls away. “Doctor Wright was well- right. We just had to be patient.”

Pregnancy looks well on Dani, Jamie thinks. They facetime her mother to tell her the news, Jamie had only once seen Karen Clayton cry and this time it was happy tears as she jumps up and down, dropping her phone as she declares that she is going to be a ‘Mimi’ which makes Jamie’s face turn into confusion before Dani explains that it’s just a Midwest thing for grandma. Now Karen Clayton calls every week to see Dani’s progression.

And Owen and Hannah, their baby boy turns out to be the sweetest thing. They visit the hospital after he is born, wrapped in blue and big dark eyes looking up at them in wonder. Owen beams proudly and Hannah is exhausted. Dani has a bump already, four months along. It’s the cutest thing ever, Jamie will sometimes talk to the life inside while Dani runs a hand through her curly hair. But now they are here, holding Tate and god, Jamie can’t wait till it’s their own in her arms.

Doctor Wright is the best. She gives them the information of the lawyer she and her wife used so Jamie can be the legal parent of their sweet baby girl. They find out shortly after Tate is born, Owen is highly amused at the outcome while Hannah thinks it’s sweet that Tate would have a friend. However, Dani is firm, she wants her daughter to decide on her own life. She can’t help how her mind slips back to Iowa and how she and Eddie were forced together. She’s laying in bed one night with Jamie at her side when she states. “She’ll decide for herself.” Dani decides and Jamie looks up at her, grey eyes tired from work. “She can be friends with Tate, I don’t mind that-” and grey eyes seem to widen as Jamie’s tired mind processes. “I never want her to feel forced, not the way I did.”

Jamie pushes herself up, because she knows. Jamie knew all about Eddie and Dani, she hadn’t yet had the pleasure to meet the man that was going to marry her wife, but she knew the story. “Baby,” Jamie soothes, kissing her temple. “She will never, ever be forced into anything. She has us.”

And Dani smiles softly as she cups Jamie’s cheeks and bringing her into a kiss. “I love you.” She murmurs against her lips. “So much.”

They decide on the name Grace after much debate. They flip through so many baby books, websites and Grace was the only thing they could agree on. It’s not a name from a great classic novel or a name from one of Jamie’s flowers, but it’s a name that sounded strong and sounded nice. Grace Florence Clayton, it rolled off the tongue well, Jamie thinks. So now she calls their little blob by her name, little Gracie.

“Dani.”

Their bedroom is dark, a of a breeze blows in from their open windows.

“Dani.” Jamie again whispers in the darkness and is blinded when the light turns on to show her very annoyed wife’s face.

“What?” She practically growls and Jamie can’t blame her. She’s seven months along now, nearing the end and exhausted from the pregnancy, from work.

“I can’t keep doing this.” Jamie says in matched exhaustion, she spent the day working and then putting the nursey together. “She keeps kicking me.”

Dani groans and runs a hand along her face. “She’s just really active at night, go back to sleep.”

“Yeah no, c’mon, until she makes her appearance, I am the big spoon.” Jamie decides and honestly, she thinks Dani could care less at this point because she turns on her side, back against Jamie and settles in. Jamie wraps her arms around her, and Dani drifts off again, fingers intertwined with Jamie’s hand that settled on her belly

Grace comes into the world on a snowy day mid-December. She’s born in the warmth of their small home with the midwives and the doula to help. Jamie knew it would have been impossible to get to the hospital in this weather, so she was so- so glad for their plan b.

Dani walks around the living room, blonde hair gathered in a messy bun on top of her head as one of the midwives fill up an inflatable circular bathtub. Jamie walks beside her, choosing her words carefully as Karen watches on from the iPad they used to face time her and god, is Dani a freaking saint as her mother talks about her own birthing experience, how she was in labor for 72 hours and-

“Jamie, for the love of god, please mute her. I love her but, I just can’t with her right now.” Dani winces, cries out and curls her toes into the carpet. Another contraction. However, Jamie doesn’t need to be asked twice and mutes her mother-in-law. “I can’t believe I am giving birth to our daughter in a blow-up swimming pool in our living room.” Dani laments as they do another round about

“Mrs. Clayton.” The Doula speaks up, her voice calm. “It’s a birthing pool.”

Dani glares and Jamie speaks up. “Yeah, no- we’re gonna call it what she called it.”

“It costs a good amount of money.”

“And it has fishes on the side.” Jamie points out, wondering what the point of hiring this woman was if she was just going to argue with a woman in labor.

Finally though, finally as the sunrises Dani’s in the pool with Jamie behind her and finally Grace comes into the world Dani catches her, brings her up towards her chest as she wails with her little fists curled and pointing to the sky. She’s perfect and beautiful for a wrinkly little thing and later as Dani rests on their bed and Grace is wrapped up all nice and warm, Jamie holds her in her arms and studies her. She’s all Dani. Dani’s nose, Dani’s mouth, ears, eyes, she’s 100% Dani. However, it’s the dark tuff of curls on her head that makes Jamie laugh. When they presented Grace to Karen, her mother in law let out a loud laugh. “No wonder you had heartburn!” Karen smirked. “Look at all that hair!”

They promised when Grace is old enough to fly, they’d visit her.

But now it’s just them in their warm bed with their daughter and Jamie loves it. She presses a kiss to Grace’s crown and whispers how she’ll have the best life possible, a large garden to play in, so many books to read and so many people that would love her.

Dani wakes up, Jamie knows when she feels the press of warm lips against her cheek and the heaviness of a head on her shoulder. “She’s alright?” Dani asks in a groggy tone. “Looks happy.”

“Yeah, probably be hungry later.” Jamie states. “Are you ready though?”

Dani’s brow furrows. “Ready for what?”

“Ready for the next eighteen years of no sleep.”

Dani’s nose crinkles. “As long as it’s with you, I can handle it.”

When Grace is two months old, they book a flight to Iowa.

By now, a brilliant set of blue eyes graced their daughters face, one hundred percent Dani. Dani is nervous though; it was her first time back home in almost four years. By now the cat was out of the bag, Dani Clayton had a wife and a baby. Dani had figured it was Eddie who was the town gossip, he had texted her after he followed her on Instagram and like the picture, she posted of herself, Jamie and Gracie on Christmas. Jamie remembered reading over her shoulder as she showed it to her. He wasn’t a dick about it like Jamie thought he would be. It just said that he thought she had a beautiful family, and they should get their kids together when she comes back to the states.

So, it’s why Dani was currently on the verge of a panic attack. Grace is cooing in a ring sling on Jamie’s body since Dani didn’t want her to feel any of her nervous energy. They’re at this family owned restaurant, Lorenzo’s. It’s a quaint little place, even though there are several pairs of eyes on them and their clasped hands. “My god, it’s like these people haven’t seen a pair of lesbians before.” Jamie jokes, earning a laugh out of Dani. “Babe, look, I know you’re nervous. I mean having dinner with your ex, his wife, his kids, his parents, his brother, their wives and your mom, it’s a lot to take in. Trust me, I am having a hard time processing this, but you’ll do great- we’ll do great. And this little sweetheart” She runs a hand along Grace’s hair. “Is quite the charmer.”

Dani smiles gratefully at her wife, giving her a quick kiss. “You really are amazing, you know that, right?”

Just then there is a chorus of ‘Oh my god’ and ‘Danielle!’

Jamie spins around to see a whole gaggle of people coming their way, all of them look alike, but she focuses on Karen Clayton who gives her a friendly wave before coming over towards her. These people, the O’Mara’s are fawning and fussing over Dani, but Karen gets the real prize, a proper introduction to her granddaughter.

“Look at her.” Karen softly coos. “Oh, she’s so beautiful.” Karen reaches out, a finger delicately tracing Grace’s small knuckles. There are tears in her eyes again, you’ll have to let me hold her later- now you have an army of people to charm.”

Jamie felt a squeeze of her hand and she is brought back to Dani who introduces her. “This is my wife, Jamie and our daughter Grace.”

There is a beat of silence and now Jamie grows silent until freaking Eddie pushes himself forward and sticks out his hand. Color Jamie impressed because that was the last thing she expected. “It’s great to meet you in person.” The one complaint she had was his handshake, felt like a complete wet noodle.

“Oh, you’ll have to tell us how you met,” His mother who’s name Jamie caught earlier, Judy speaks up. “I heard it is quite the love story.”

So, they sit at a large table. Grace now being cuddled by her ‘Mimi’, Eddie’s children looking at her with amazement in her eyes as they tell their story. From the flowers at Dani’s doorstep to the little notes in the books that were gifted to Jamie, Judy has a huge smile on her face as she listens. “Oh, that is so romantic.” She says. “You know, I wasn’t shocked at all when Eddie told me about the two of you. Dani, you’ve always been family too me and I am so, so happy that you found your ever after with a beautiful woman and an adorable baby.”

“Thank you, Mrs. O’Mara, that means a lot.” Dani says while Jamie rubs her back. “But I didn’t find my ever after, my ever after found me.”

They end up back home in two weeks, jet lagged and tired. It had been a great trip, seeing the small town that Dani once called home, meeting the people she went to school with, but god was Dani glad to be home. Grace is resting on Dani’s chest while Jamie is wrapped around her. She can hear Grace’s small snores and Dani’s giggles. “You know, I love going back to the states.” Dani begins. “But I love this more, us, Grace- Owen, Hannah and Tate, Rebecca. I feel a stronger bond with them then I do with the other back home.”

Jamie hums, her eyes half shut. “That’s because, you got to choose us, my love. And I am so happy that you did because this is perfect.”

“Will it still be perfect when she is a screaming teenager, probably fighting with us or a sibling about something stupid?”

“Of course, as long as it’s with you, Dani, everything is perfect.”


End file.
